I think its sick. Yes, the family's deaths should not be mourned forever, but setting up a marathon over the sites of their execution and graves is like running around their dead bodies, for lack of a better phrase.

Missy came out here to Oregon and Washington. I have some pictures of the Queen Marie Ballroom named after her that is at the Executive Suites--formerly Hotel Multnomah somewhere. . .
I don't think Alix was going to let ANY of her daughters marry. Funny, she acted a lot like Victoria and Queen Alexandra in that respect.

__________________"Not MGM, not the press, not anyone can tell me what to do."--Ava Gardner

Marie of Rumania at one time was the only one with any manly virtues at the court, she saved the country from bankrupcy. I do believe there is a small museum dedicated to Marie in the state of Washington. Whatever her shortcomings in her private life, she worked tirelessly for her adopted country. The Orthodox faith is of all the denominations the most spiritual and mystical, even in quite humble Orthodox homes you will find many icons.

That is true regarding the icons, there are plenty in my house, even more in my grandparents' and when I left home to study in another city I also took one with me as did many of my friends, to protect us in our new life , although we are not what one would call regural church attendants . I can't fully see , being raised an Orthodox, how much the church's mystique could influence a newcomer in Orthodoxy, but apart from spiritual wonders orthodoxy does have a very earthly aspect, in the sense that the Church is considered a living organism which is guided from the Holy Spirit and people are supposed to participate in it , and besides Holy Tradition plays also an important role so I don't know how much room there is for isolating ,exaggerated behaviours - like the one Alexandra had developped after she met Rapsutin in my view.

I do believe there is a small museum dedicated to Marie in the state of Washington.

Maryhill. Been there. Lovely. Not quite "small".Maryhill Museum of Art
Queen Marie's gown she wore to Nicky's coronation is there along with her throne and the slashed portrait of Nicky.

Copy that on ER's response. And to expound, Nicky missed the boat. Since he expected his father to reign a long, long time he neglected his studies. When reading the Crawford's book and Coryne Hall's, it seems that Nicky enjoyed jokes more then studying. George was the more studious of the two.

__________________"Not MGM, not the press, not anyone can tell me what to do."--Ava Gardner

I've always wanted to see one of Princess Irina Alexandrovna. And one of Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovich.

Copy that.
GD Serge--though I have heard, I think it was by Imperial Anastasia, that there is one out.
GD Boris, want to see if Mignon of Rumania is REALLY his daughter.
You could probably lump them all into Vlad's bunch. Meichen on her own. Now THERE was a Grand Duchess! HA!
Uncle Bimbo. I believe he was the one who was passing Mathilda K. back and forth with Andrei. . . .
See what you have started Pamela??

__________________"Not MGM, not the press, not anyone can tell me what to do."--Ava Gardner

GD Sergei Mikhailovich>>>Russophile, this is the one who also had an affair with Mathilda. Gd Nicholas Milkhailovich AKA Uncle Bimbo was the unmarried one who was deeply in love with his cousin Victoria of Baden, later Queen Victoria of Sweden.

Copy that.
GD Serge--though I have heard, I think it was by Imperial Anastasia, that there is one out.
GD Boris, want to see if Mignon of Rumania is REALLY his daughter.
You could probably lump them all into Vlad's bunch. Meichen on her own. Now THERE was a Grand Duchess! HA!
Uncle Bimbo. I believe he was the one who was passing Mathilda K. back and forth with Andrei. . . .
See what you have started Pamela??

Russo, teehee, exactly what I had in mind!

As for me, one on Sergei Alexandrovich (a really good one!), Miechen (however much I dislike her), Dmitri Pavlovich, and (perhaps curiously) Alexander III.

Using the newly advanced technology of time travel, you may go back to any era of the Russian Imperial Court. You may choose any of the Imperial family to interview. While you may NOT give him/her any information that would directly alter the future, you may ask your subject three questions, and he/she must answer and answer truthfully.

I think I would interview the last Czar. I would ask him what he thought the future of the 20th century would bring. The second question would be what he thought of the American political system. The third question would be what he thought were the cases of World War I.